Sourdough, Fire & Leaving Corporate: Chef Jenny Messing on Building The Little Gem Kitchen | Ep 78

On this episode of the Pizza Story Podcast, I’m joined by the incredible Chef Jenny Messing, the brilliant mind behind SoCal's The Little Gem Kitchen ❤️. Jenny is redefining the art of outdoor cooking with her stunning California-style sourdough pizzas and live-fire dining experiences, but her path to the culinary world was anything but traditional 🍕. Jenny takes us through her inspiring journey, from dropping out of high school and navigating a successful corporate marketing career at Oakley, to finally stepping away from the daily grind to pursue her true passion for food. We talk about how a simple COVID-era side hustle, baking sourdough bread and delivering homemade pizza kits at 3 a.m., accidentally laid the foundation for her thriving catering business 🍞. We also dive deep into the craft behind her food, including how a Gozney oven transformed her pop-up setup, her secret to making her famous Carolina Gold mustard BBQ chicken pizza, and how she sources fresh, hyper-local ingredients from nearby farms. Plus, Jenny shares why she intentionally chooses to keep her business small and hands-on, staying right at the oven to share the pure, nostalgic joy of pizza with every single guest 🙌🏽. 🎙 Episode Highlights ✅ 00:43 – Jenny’s SoCal upbringing, big family roots, and early love for food ✅ 02:07 – Walking away from action sports marketing to start a home supper club ✅ 04:17 – Inside The Little Gem Kitchen: Live-fire cooking & remote outdoor events ✅ 06:10 – The COVID sourdough pivot: Waking up at 3 AM to deliver pizza kits ✅ 08:20 – The game-changer: How Gozney ovens transformed her catering business ✅ 09:50 – Farm-to-table pizza: Sourcing seasonal ingredients from The Ecology Center ✅ 11:19 – Menu deep-dive: The crowd-favorite Carolina Gold BBQ chicken pie ✅ 13:26 – Finding fresh culinary inspiration on an upcoming trip to Italy ✅ 16:04 – Spreading soul-nourishing joy through simple, humble food ✅ 17:19 – Why Jenny chooses to stay a hands-on, boutique owner-operator 🔗 Connect on Instagram with Our Guest & Host @thelittlejemkitchen @chefjennymessing 🍕🇮🇹 About the Podcast Step behind the counter and into the craft with the people who turned a passion for pizza into a lifestyle. We're sharing the untold stories, deep-rooted traditions, and authentic history behind the best pies in the world, one slice at a time. 🎧 🔔 Subscribe to the Pizza Story Podcast for more stories behind the dough, sauce, and ovens ♥️! Website: https://www.astoryaboutpizza.com/  Substack: https://substack.com/@astoryaboutpizza  Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/astoryaboutpizza/  TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@storyaboutpizza  YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@AStoryAboutPizza  A Story About Pizza Book: https://www.amazon.com/Story-About-Pizza-Erica-DArcangelo/dp/1917116993  Pietro’s Pizza Children’s Book: https://www.amazon.com/Pietros-Pizza-Story-About/dp/B0DTYZ15WB/  Pietro’s Pizza Toppings Children’s Book: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0FJM15W22/ref=tmm\_pap\_swatch\_0 Pietro’s Italian Christmas: https://www.amazon.com/Pietros-Italian-Christmas-Erica-DArcangelo/dp/B0G2GQX78W/  #pizza #chef #littlejemkitchen